


his & mine

by Areiton



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Getting Together, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, M/M, MIT Era, Possessive Behavior, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Protective Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:23:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22943998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Areiton/pseuds/Areiton
Summary: Mama Rhodes takes one look at Tony Stark, pale and underweight and grinning shyly, Rhodey’s arm hooked around his neck to keep him close and her expression goes somehow soft and disapproving.
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark
Comments: 32
Kudos: 546
Collections: IronHusbands





	his & mine

Rhodey--before he is Rhodey, when he is Rhodes and Jim and  _ boy-- _ gets as far as pouring a very drunk fourteen year boy who is aggressively affectionate into his bed before he realizes just how much shit he just stepped into. He sits on the couch, hyperventilating a little and doesn't ever manage to sleep, too keyed up and stressed out. 

Around noon, while he attempts to study and his thoughts aren't spinning dizzy, a warm body lands in his lap and a baby billionaire bats his eyes at Rhodey. "Do we have coffee?"

Over a breakfast of coffee and eggs and robotics mechanics, Rhodey wonders how to explain to his momma that saving a drunk white boy somehow turned into adopting a genius prodigy billionaire. 

~*~ 

Mama Rhodes takes one look at Tony Stark, pale and underweight and grinning shyly, Rhodey’s arm hooked around his neck to keep him close--Rhodey is pretty sure if he lets go, a helicopter will appear and scoop Tony away to a godawful mansion in New York and that is  _ not _ happening--and her expression goes somehow soft and disapproving. 

Tony wilts, and she tuts, scurrying forward to draw him into the house, muttering about feeding him and what has Jim even been doin’ with that poor boy and it’s only when Tony is sitting down in front of a plateful of meatloaf and mashed potatoes that she turns her gaze on Rhodey, all disapproving and fond. “Thought I said no more strays,” she says mildly and Tony makes an indignant noise.

Rhodey slips into the chair next to Tony and steals a bite of his biscuit and Mama makes an outrage squawk, slapping his hand and he grins. “I don’t know, mama, you seem to like this one.” 

She mutters darkly and Rhodey hooks his foot around Tony’s ankle and lets the boy lean into his side. 

~*~ 

"Am I your stray?" Tony asks, later. He’s curled into a tiny ball on Rhodey’s bed, and Rhodey is remind of just how hard his mama’s floors are. 

“You’re my friend,” Rhodey says and Tony’s face goes soft and sweet, the way he does sometimes when Rhodey has said something  _ important _ , even if he doesn’t know exactly what, yet. 

“You’re mine,” Tony whispers, and in his sleepy state, Rhodey thinks it sounds almost like a vow. 

~*~ 

He spends a lot of time protecting Tony. 

And he gets comments for it--from classmates and his CO and sometimes professors. Tony Stark is the darling of MIT, and the future of the weapons industry and a poor black kid from Philly couldn’t find a better wagon to hitch himself to. 

But--

It’s not about that. 

Because people look at Tony and they see Tony  _ Stark _ , the baby billionaire, the brilliant mind, the genius that would--is--outshining his father. They see everything the wildly generous, desperately lonely can do for them. 

Rhodey--Rhodey looks at Tony and he sees  _ Tony _ Stark. A kid with too many expectations and not a damn lick of sense for all his genius, who spends his time building friends because he doesn’t trust  _ people _ , who would trade away all of his intellect and patents for a kind word from his father, who is hesitant and shy and sweet, but only when he’s safe, when they’re locked in his workshop or apartment and Rhodey is laughing, and Tony stares at him in wonder, like he doesn’t understand why  _ Rhodey  _ is here. 

~*~ 

He meets Howard under...less than perfect circumstances. 

Tony is coked out of his head, sobbing into Rhodey's chest when Howard slams into the apartment. It's an open loft, no chance to hide anything, and Rhodey's arms tighten, just a little. There’s nothing  _ wrong _ is the thing. 

Howard’s lips tighten, a sneer on them. It sets the tone for the next two days. 

It’s only when Howard is leaving that it’s addressed, and Rhodey knows, he  _ knows _ he isn’t supposed to hear it. 

“You can do better than that boy,” Howard says, absently. He hesitates, out of sight, and there’s a beat of silence from Tony. 

Then. “He’s mine, Howard. Stay away from him.” 

Howard laughs. “Or what?” 

“Or I’ll take my patents and my name and I’ll open my own goddamn company,  _ Dad.  _ I’ll  _ ruin _ you.” 

Rhodey feels a jolt of--something. Alarm. Arousal. Anticipation. At the words. 

“He’s your beaking point, hmm?” 

Tony says, simply, firmly, like it’s the most unremarkable fact in the universe because it is so indisputable, “He’s mine.” 

~*~ 

He rescues a drunk white boy too young to be at a frat party, drags him home and panics about how this could go wrong--a poor black boy with Tony fucking Stark in his bed drunk off his ass. 

But it doesn’t. 

It never does go wrong. Tony--Tony opens up his world, lights it up in ways Rhodey didn’t expect, because when he adopted a drunk stray he didn’t  _ expect _ anything. 

Tony is his friend, and friends take care of each other. 

And somehow, as the years past, and life happens to them and around them and shapes them--he realizes that Tony was right, all those years ago, when he stares at Rhodey with eyes shining in the darkness, the same way he looks at Rhodey now, bright with love and wonder. 

Tony is his. Always has been, ever since Tony was a baby billionaire. 

And he’s Tony’s. Always will be. 


End file.
